The Race to the Finish Line
by HoldYourBreath-Hiccup
Summary: After Hiccup's mother dies in a hunting accident and Hiccup loses his left foot/ calf, Stoic begins to hold Hiccup back from his dream of becoming a Formula One racer and pushes the University of Copenhagen on him while Hiccup dreams of going to Finland to race professionally. AU; no Dragons. But you won't be disappointed by their replacement! Full Summary Inside.
1. The Compromise

This is my first ever How To Train Your Dragon fanfiction. It's a little AU.

Nothing that looks familiar belongs to me.

Summary: After Hiccup's mother dies in a hunting accident and Hiccup loses his left foot/ calf, Stoic begins to hold Hiccup back from his dream of becoming a Formula One racer and pushes the University of Copenhagen on him while Hiccup dreams of going to Finland to race professionally. Stoic is nearing the end of his reign of Scandinavia and only wants Hiccup to focus on becoming the best leader that he can be; this is the story of their compromise, with a little love thrown in for fun.

Chapter 1- The Compromise.

"Dad! You're not listening to me, I'm not going to school in Copenhagen! I'm going to Finland and I'm going to become a driver for Formula One. They've been to all my races and are even impressed with my mechanical work. I already have my foot in the door, dad." Hiccup was tired of having this conversation; tired of being ignored and having his desires brushed off by his father time and time again.

"Hiccup. I'm not argueing about this again. Your mother went to school in Copenhagen, I went to school in Copenhagen, and you are going to school in Copenhagen. It is expected of you. It builds our relations with Denmark and it is a respectable school, you will meet future leaders there and they will respect you more for knowing that you are an educated and hardworking person." Stoic's mind was made and there was no room for change.

With an angry glare and a huff, Hiccup turned his back on his father; bolting from the Great Room and making his way to the 'dungeons'. Years ago, Hiccup's ancestors had needed a dungeon, to keep villains from taking over their Kingdom; life in Berk was much calmer now however and Hiccup had turned the dungeons into his own personal garage. He tore Formula One cars apart, combining them to create newer, faster, better running vehicles. There was something about the sleek lines of the Formula One cars that Hiccup couldn't resists, the speed, the smooth lines, the power that he was in control of when behind the wheel.

"Uhhhggggg! Why can't he just _listen_ to me?" Hiccup kicked his right foot at the wall, relishing a little in the pain and his anger. "I can't be expected to follow in his footsteps exactly! I have dreams and he's just holding me back from happiness." Hiccup kicked the wall again, this time with his left food and heard the faint sound of a spring bouncing behind him.

"Now, now Hiccup. What did that wall ever do to you? And why are you treating my fine craftsmanship with such disrespect?" Gobber, one of Hiccup's favourite servants of the castle, made his way into the dungeon, not asking for permission to enter Hiccup's private room because of their close relationship.

"Hey Gobber- I'm sorry. It's just- Dad. You know how much we've been disagreeing lately and we just had yet another argument and he still isn't even considering letting me go to Finland to race." Hiccup sighed dramatically, limping to the chair closest to him to let Gobber take a look at his prosthetic.

"Aye, Hiccup, I know that you must be frustrated with your father but he's just so focused on making you a great leader that he isn't considering any other options." Gobber took a small screwdriver out of his shirt pocket and a spring out of another and began fixing Hiccup's left ankle. "Have you taken my advice and tried to work out a compromise with him?"

"Well, I mean, I didn't even get the chance- he just started in on me about school the second that I walked into the great room," Hiccup wiggled in his seat; uncomfortable at the look he was receiving from Gobber.

"Hiccup, my boy, that's no excuse. How long did you talk to him before you stormed down here?" Gobber shook his head, looking up at Hiccup briefly before continuing his work.

"Gobber- why do you always have to be right?" Hiccup huffed with indignation. "I just feel like, since mom died, and all this happened with my leg, he's pushed me away. He doesn't ask how I'm making out or how I'm feeling, it's always 'I went to school and you'll go to school and I don't care how much you want to be happy, I just want to smother you'. Aren't parents supposed to want their kids to be happy?" Sometimes Hiccup wanted to say that he understood his father, but he couldn't understand why he wouldn't want his son to be happy. Wasn't that a parents point in life? To make sure that their child was happy and healthy?

"Fear is a powerful emotion, son." Hiccup jumped about a foot in the air, luckily Gobber had just finished reassembling his broken prosthetic and had stepped away. Neither Hiccup nor Gobber had heard Stoic making his way down the stone steps into the dungeon.

"Dad- I- uhm," Hiccup was at a loss for words. His heart was in his throat and he felt terrible for the things he had been saying.

"No, Hiccup, I'm sorry, son. I never wanted you to feel as if I didn't want you to be happy." Stoic approached his son slowly, putting in arm around his shoulders and pulling Hiccup to his chest. "I'm just so afraid of losing you like I lost your mother. I've already lost a piece of you and I feel so afraid whenever you talk about going to Finland instead of Denmark. Denmark is so much smaller and safer, and I do want you to go to school so that you can take over for me eventually."

"But dad, I'm a grown man now, I'm eighteen years old and I would really rather not spend my entire life in Norway." Hiccup backed away from his father. "I know that you're scared for me after the hunting accident but life is all about taking chances and you're not letting me take any."

Stoic nodded his head in agreement, he knew where Hiccup was coming from, he knew how frustrated his must be to have all his hopes and dreams refused but Stoic couldn't live with himself if something happened to Hiccup while he was in Finland. Hiccup could tell that his dad was trying to understand where Hiccup was coming from but there was still a part of Stoic that wouldn't budge. Hiccup sighed and looked to Gobber for help, for advice. Gobber opened and closed his mouth a few times, not wanting to anger his king with his opinion.

"Go on Gobber, maybe any outside opinion will help us solve our problem." Stoic nodded towards the servant who had helped put his son back together after the accident. His opinion was valued above most for his four and a half years of service.

"Well, sir, you could always compromise. Maybe Hiccup could go to school in Copenhagen," Gobber ignored the glare from Hiccup, "and he could take his summers to race. If you're smart, Hiccup, you could ace all your classes and use your free time to work on the car, when there are qualification runs, you could just fly out for the weekend. It's not as if we couldn't haul the car out during the week before and you could meet the team wherever your race is taking place."

Hiccup nodded enthusiastically to that idea, he knew it would be a lot of work trying to get ready for races and keeping up with school but it really seemed like his best option if he wanted to continue with his Formula One racing.

Gobber and Hiccup both looked to Stoic, praying and hoping that Odin would smile down on them and Stoic would agree to letting Hiccup at least race while he was at school.

"I'm sorry Hiccup, I know how much you love to race," Stoic shook his head, looking away from his son, shame in his eyes. "I'll agree to this, but only so long as you take at least two guardsmen with you, I won't settle for anything less. They'll enroll in the same classes and go to races with you but other than that I promise that they'll keep their distance."

Hiccup held out his hand to his father, "You have a deal, dad!"


	2. Preparations

Chapter 2- Preparations

_One Month Later- July 2014_

Although Hiccup's application was barely sent away in time to be accepted, his name and family granted him a handwritten letter from the dean, John Hansen and his four associate deans. Hiccup felt torn about being accepted to the University of Copenhagen; it would be a great chapter of his life, for that he was sure, but it also allowed his father to gain more control over him. They spoke of Hiccup's classes every day, which ones would be most acceptable for a future leader. They decided which hobbies would be best to take up, even which residencies Hiccup was to choose from.

"Father, you aren't listening to me. Again." Hiccup sighed. Stoic and Hiccup had been sitting at a large desk in the library, bent over print outs of each residence that UCPH had to offer. "If I'm going to learn what the people want, shouldn't I live with the people for a few years?"

"Oh Hiccup, don't be foolish. You are the next ruler of Scandinavia, you will have your own dwelling and you will keep away from the rabble until you have completed your schooling. And are fit to be leader."

"Dad, you're being outrageous. I could easily have a shared apartment and still get high marks and stay focused. You can't expect me to never associate with any of my fellow students. I'll be there for four years at the very least."

After two weeks of petty arguments and disagreements, Hiccup, or rather Stoic, had chosen his residence. There were many to choose from, shared apartments, room rentals in Danes' homes and good old fashioned dorms. The dorm that the two finally settled on was closest to the South campus, which is where Hiccup's Law and Humanity classes would be taken. They decided on a 'residence hall' named Tietgenkollegiet. Hiccup chose this residence because it seemed to have more opportunity for having time to himself, as the rooms were not shared, but yet the most opportunity to meet new people because the living and cooking spaces were both shared.

Tietgenkollegiet was the most modern of all the residency choices, which appealed very much to Hiccup. He would have his own bedroom with a small study area and his own bathroom. There were a total of six kitchens in the building, each of the kitchens were shared by a group of twelve students. As well as having common areas, there were game rooms, study rooms and TV lounges as well as a 'party' room and even parking outside the building.

Hiccup filled out the application for his residency before Stoic could second guess his decision and before Hiccup and Stoic had the opportunity to argue even more about where Hiccup would be living while in Denmark, Gobber had snuck away with Hiccup's residency application and mailed it away to the school. Stoic, of course, attempted to blame Hiccup for this great disrespect but Gobber happily owned up to the act and offered himself up for punishment, Stoic couldn't bear himself to cause harm to the gentle man and let the misdoing go unpunished; much to Hiccup's relief.

While he nervously awaited the start of the school year, Hiccup put all of his focus on his Formula One car. He felt as if he would never be happy with the car, always thinking of parts that needed to be tuned up or replaced, or even just done away with completely. The body of the car had not been touched in quite some time and Hiccup was starting to even second guess his choice of paint colour. Gobber followed Hiccup around during the week prior to his first trial run of the season, he worried that the boy was putting too much stress on himself and that he would burn himself out before even getting onto the track.

Since the Formula One 2014 season wasn't technically over until November, Hiccup was still keeping tabs on other racers while he was doing his trials. There were a few that really stuck out to him as competition and he was looking forward to running the same tracks they were currently running in order to challenge their times.

"Hiccup, it's nearly four in the afternoon, why don't you take a break and we'll head to the kitchens for some lunch." It was Sunday, and Hiccup had been locked away in his dungeons for nearly seventy six hours with only a few sandwiches and even less sleep.

"Gobber, I've nearly got it, it's just this-," Gobber pulled Hiccup away from the car's hood with his good hand. "Wh-what are you d-doing Gobber?"

"Hiccup! We are going upstairs, and we are going to eat lunch." Gobber easily threw Hiccup's small frame over his burly shoulder and began the short journey up the stairs and through two service hallways to reach the kitchen. Hiccup complained the entire walk to the kitchens, screeching about this part and that.

When Gobber walked into the kitchen, many of the serving girls blushed and stuttered at seeing Hiccup, embarrassed to see him in such a dishevelled state. Gobber placed Hiccup onto a stool, laying a heaving hand onto his shoulder when he tried to run from the kitchen.

"Alright, alright. I'll eat, but I'm going right back downstairs." Hiccup dug into the bowl of stew placed in front of him and Gobber smiled to see him eat with such enthusiasm. "McLaren is really starting to fight his way up the ranks and so is Stevensen, I don't know if I can compete with them and win."

"Oh Hiccup, you've never been in a real race before, where you have to fight to get ahead," Gobber sighed, tiring of all the Formula One talk. "I bet once you actually get out there and feel the nerves, you'll do great. You already push past the times of sixty five percent of the other racers; you'll be surprised at what you can do in a real race."

"I know Gobber, I'm just thinking about everything too much." Hiccup continued to eat his stew in silence.

"Hey, what do you say to heading into town later on and seeing if we can't find an artist to paint your car," Gobber suggested, willing to do anything as long as it didn't involve going back to the dungeon.

"That's alright Gobber," Hiccup shook his head, he appreciated the gesture but could tell the Gobber was getting tired of his car talk. "The trial runs aren't anything important so I'm not worried about a new paint job just yet. I wouldn't mind getting out of the castle though; maybe we could see what's going on at the stadium this evening. I'm sure dad has the men out for some training on a night like tonight."

Gobber could only raise his eyes at his charge. The Stadium? Hiccup? Had he hit his head? Maybe all the fumes from his car had finally gotten to him.

"Well sure Hiccup, going to the Stadium sounds like a great idea. I wouldn't mind seeing how my boy is making out with his training. He just turned sixteen, you know."

Stoic had always been raised to believe that a man should know how to fight and should be willing to fight for his country and his leader, therefore; on a man's sixteenth birthday, he was trained by the finest guards that Berk had to offer. If the boy showed any potential, Stoic would bring him into the Guard, would raise him as his own and would ensure that he be happy his entire life. Gobber's son, Snotlout, had been training to join the guard since he was six, he was built like a truck and as quick as a fox and Hiccup knew that he would be dominating in the Stadium.

"You may have mentioned it before Gobber," Hiccup laughed as he took the last bite of stew from his large bowl. He swallowed before, "it's great to see that you're so proud of him. Let me put my bowl in the sink and we'll head right out." Hiccup stood from his stool and made his way to the sink before an older woman stopped him, taking his bowl from his hands and tutting him before turning away and placing his bowl in the sink. Hiccup couldn't help but shake his head. "Thank you, Valka."

Hey guys! Hope you're all loving the story so far. Next chapter will be the Stadium and the first couple of Trial races. Hope you're looking forward to them as much as I am!

I've been aiming for 1,500 words per chapter and have gotten there with both chapters so far but I think my next chapter will only be around 1,000 words.


	3. Chapter 3

So here we are again, chapter three. I know Chapter 2 was really just filler, but I want to make sure that you guys get hooked right from the beginning! This chapter is 1,667 words long and I still haven't gotten Hiccup to school! Hoping you'll all bear with me for this chapter, my creative juices were flowing and I couldn't stop the scenes from jumping onto the screen.

Chapter Three- The Trials

Hiccup let Gobber lead the way int o the stadium, or rather, into the viewing area and not the stadium itself. Stoic sat atop a large throne like chair, observing the Guards during their nightly practice session.

"Ah Gobber, Snotlout is a very strong boy," Stoic said by way of greeting the two newcomers. "He would make any father proud, and he just may have a spot already carved out for him in the Guard."

"Well, thank you sir," Gobber bowed his head to show respect, "I'm sure that he will be happy to hear that you think so well of all his hard work." Gobber stepped closer to the window that separated the Stadium from the viewing room; his eyes scanned the arena before settling on his son. Snotlout was in the middle of two large men, his practice sword swung faster than Hiccup's eyes could follow it and before he had a chance to blink twice, the fight was over and Snotlout stood victorious.

"Wow, Gobber," Hiccup was impressed, "he's so fast! Dad, you'd be a fool not to ask him to join the Guard. Were he any older, I would request that he be the one to accompany me to school."

Stoic only nodded his head, too wrapped up in the fights happening in the Stadium. _Well, it was nice to have his attention while we figured school out at least. _Hiccup's shoulders slumped and Gobber shook his head at his Chief's antics.

"Speaking of, sir," Gobber nodded to Hiccup to encourage him. "Have you decided on the Guards that will be going with Hiccup? The boys might want to meet each other before they have to spend so much time together."

"Yes, I suppose you would like to meet them," Stoic addressed Hiccup for the first time since entering the Stadium. He gave him a once over, his brows coming together in a scowl, "Hiccup, you've lost weight. Perhaps you should be coming out to the Stadium more often." He shook his head at his son and turned to the servant beside him, "Please ask the Captain to send up the boys."

It took but a minute for the servant to returned, followed by two of the largest men that Hiccup had ever seen. It probably didn't help that they were wearing their heavy practice gear but Hiccup couldn't help but disagree with his father's choices.

"Dad! I'm going to be taking my undergraduate degree, not my PhD! Don't you think these guys are a little old to blend in with a bunch of Freshmen?" Hiccup looked to Gobber for some backup but the older man was still watching Snotlout out the window. "I'm sure you are the best the Guard have to offer, but I can't see you really fitting in."

"You know the boy is right, Stoic." Gobber still hadn't turned from the window, but Hiccup assumed he could see the men's reflections in the glass.

"Alright, alright," Stoic stood from his seat and turned to the servant, "Please tell the Captain, we'll go with Plan B." Stoic addressed the Guards, "Thanks for humouring me men, I told you he wouldn't approve."

The two burly men and the servant left the viewing room, leaving Hiccup, Stoic and Gobber to their own devices. Hiccup walked back to the window, glancing down at all the men in the Stadium. He had always wished that he'd shown more of an interest in the Guard, maybe he and his father would have more to discuss, more reason to be father and son. Gobber nudged him in the side enthusiastically when Snotlout took out another opponent, the grin on his face nearly splitting it and Hiccup couldn't help but smile along with him.

The servant soon returned, followed by two, much younger, Guards. Hiccup was surprised to see a young man and woman standing before him, both sported rather long blond hair, blue eyes and were built nearly identical, Hiccup thought to himself they must be related.

"Ruffnut and Tuffnut at your service sir," the woman stepped forward, holding her hand out for Hiccup to shake while the man stood back and let her do the talking.

"It's a pleasure to meet the both of you," Hiccup nodded, talking her hand for a moment. He couldn't help but notice that she had a strong and callused hand. "You two aren't related are you?"

"Well, actually yes," Ruffnut answered, "Tuffnut and I are twins, as a matter of fact."

"That's great," Hiccup decided. "I know you two have been close your whole life then. Which hopefully means that you get along?"

"Oh, well, we argue as much as the next brother and sister," Ruffnut replied. "Tuff likes to give me a hard time, being a girl and all, but I'm strong, I can brush it off. We know when to argue with each other and when to keep the peace, don't we Tuff?" Ruffnut turned to her brother, who just nodded quietly.

"Well, I hope you both can keep up with my classes," Hiccup stood from his seat. "Maybe you can come along for my first trial race in a few days and we can get to know each other on the flight."

"I think that's a great idea Hiccup," Stoic nodded, "You might as well get used to being together now and then when you're in school in won't be an inconvenience."

"Sure, that sounds great to us, right Tuff?" Ruffnut glanced at her brother again, who gave a nod. "Well, just give us a time and place and we'll be there. It was nice meeting you, sir." Ruffnut held out her hand in goodbye and Hiccup took it again.

"Yes, likewise," Hiccup let go of Ruffnut's hand. "But you can call me Hiccup, I'm no sir."

With a blush, a nod and a small wave goodbye, Ruffnut pulled her brother from the room and the three men were left alone once again. Hiccup was dying to ask Stoic about why he had put a woman in the Guard, it was completely unheard of, even in the twenty first century; the Scandinavian people were nothing if not traditional. He couldn't help but be impressed with his father for taking such a daring step, not that he had any doubts about Ruffnut's abilities, but it was still a big shock.

"They seem like a good pair of Guards," Hiccup turned to his father. "Polite enough, and clearly they're good at what they do or you wouldn't be sending them with me."

"Ruffnut is the top of her age group," Stoic nodded, "and Tuffnut is about fourth, but they're inseparable and I know that they'll work hard to keep you safe. Ruffnut is a determined one." Stoic smiled, seemingly remembering something. "When they turned sixteen, it was Ruffnut who convinced Tuffnut to come to the trials. Their father was Mulch Thorston, he was a fierce fighter.

"Ruffnut fought the Captain just for the chance at competing in the trials, when she was still standing at the end of their fight; I had no choice but to accept her application. I haven't been disappointed yet."

Hiccup couldn't help but be jealous of the girl.

_A few days later_

Hiccup, Gobber, Ruffnut and Tuffnut sat on the steps of Hooligan Castle, waiting for the man that would take them to the airport. Hiccup wrung his hands with his nerves while Gobber tried to distract him with talk of his son's winnings in the Stadium. Tuffnut sat in silence, as per his usual and Ruffnut carried on to him about this and that, pausing every once in a while as if Tuffnut was adding his say to the conversation. The four made an interesting pair, to say the least.

"Maybe we should just go back and pretend that I never wanted to do this," Hiccup shook his head. "I'll just go to school and pretend there's no such thing as Formula One."

"I don't think so Hiccup," Gobber rose to stand in front of Hiccup. "I have not spent the past three months literally locked in a dungeon so that you can just say forget it and give up your dream. No way, no how, mister. We are going to sit here patiently, drive to the airport and you are going to single handed win each and every one of your trials this weekend. Got it?"

"But Gobber! I won't win a single race! There's still the issue with the-"

"I will hear no such talk, Hiccup Haddock." A booming voice sounded from behind the group, Stoic was making his way down the steps. "You have fought me tooth and nail about becoming a Formula One racer, you have talent, raw passionate talent for this sport and you _will_ win. Do you think I would truly let you go if I didn't have such faith in your abilities?"

"Well- You never- I guess I-," Hiccup was speechless. "You really think- You have- What?"

"Oh Hiccup," Stoic bowed his head, realizing that he had never told Hiccup how he truly felt. "You have talent my boy, you know your car like it's a part of you and you don't let anything hold you back. I have every faith in you when it comes to your races."

Hiccup was left completely speechless, before he had the chance to say anything, their car arrived and Hiccup was being whisked into the back seat. Stoic followed him to the car, he placed a heavy hand on Hiccup's shoulder and bowed his head to him in a sign of respect. Instead of doing the same, Hiccup wiggled his thin body through the open window and gave his father a hug, whispering his thanks in a voice thick with tears.


End file.
